WHITESNAKE – Made In Britain ; The World Record (2013)

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Hot on the heels of their recently released live CD/DVD Made In Japan, WHITESNAKE make a quick-fire live return with a double set of tracks culled from their 2011 nine sold-out UK tour – “Made In Britain” – and a further 87 performances from around the world – “The World Record” – from the same year.
Released by Frontiers Records, “Made In Britain ; The World Record” it’s available on a 2CD set or 4 Vinyls.

Impressively given that between them the two discs offer up twenty five tracks, only one, the slow heartfelt “Fare Thee Well” is duplicated between them, and considering it is a highlight on both, listening to the song twice isn’t exactly a chore, the version on MIB being fully electric and the one on TWR being an acoustic reworking. The latter reminds us of the low registered delivery that made David Coverdale the hugely respected vocalist he is, a feature which makes the other acoustic track “One Of These Days” sublime both in vocal and music.

Since the ‘Snake returned after their long layoffs during the nineties and early past decade, the guitar pair of Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach have been constants in an ever rotating Coverdale fronted line-up. Firing the belly of this beast with an exuberance and energy even greater than the Adrian Vandenberg led USA heyday.
However even with that in mind, the twin guitar dual assault of “Pistols At Dawn”, while entertaining and understandable in the live setting, does lose much of its lustre taken into your home. Even if the pair do bounce incredible ideas and skills off each other’s playing.
That said it is the only moment where the eye is taken off the prize on either disc, with sure fire hits and favourites “Give Me All Your Love Tonight”, “Slide It In”, “Here I Go Again”, “Fool For Your Loving” and “Still Of The Night” hammered out in splendid style, while newer tracks such as “Forevermore” and “Steal Your Heart Away” don’t shy away in such exalted company. Add to that some Deep Purple classics in the shape of “Soldier Of Fortune”, “Burn” and “Stormbringer” and the early ‘Snake staple “Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City” (performed in avery special way) and there’s something here for fans of every era of the band, even if most of the renditions are in the metallically bombastic style Whitesnake are now best known for.

Back in 2011 the WS line-up was completed by Michael Devlin on bass, Brian Tichy on drums (now replaced by the three times over Snaker Tommy Aldridge) and Brian Ruedy on keys, with all three serving up scintillating performances. However truth be told in recent years the weak link in this live band has been Mr. Whitesnake himself, David Coverdale, with his ability to hit the high notes and screams of old often diminished.
Cleverly however with neither of these discs actual presentations of one complete gig, instead being best performances from the tours, pieced together to sound like two complete shows, old DC (he does remind us he’s “in my retirement” on World Record) has had the luxury to trawl through hundreds of hours of live material from which to choose his best moments. Something which presents him in a much stronger light than you can guarantee when catching him in the flesh these days.
There may now be a plethora of live Whitesnake releases to choose from, with three released in just the last two years and four in the last seven.
But as a document of the current and arguably of the modern era of this band, strongest line-up Coverdale has presented, you need look no further than “Made In Britain : The World Record”.

Made In Britain

1. ‘Best Years’
2. ‘Give Me All Your Love Tonight’
3. ‘Love Ain’t No Stranger’
4. ‘Is This Love’
5. ‘Steal Your Heart Away’
6. ‘Forevermore’
7. ‘Love Will Set You Free’
8. ‘My Evil Ways’
9. ‘Fare Thee Well’
10. ‘Heart of the City’
11. ‘Fool for Your Loving’
12. ‘Here I Go Again’
13. ‘Still of the Night’

The World Record

1. ‘Bad Boys’
2. ‘Slide it In’
3. ‘Lay Down Your Love’
4. ‘Pistols at Dawn’
5. ‘Snake Dance’
6. ‘Can You Hear the Wind Blow’
7. ‘Fare Thee Well’
8. ‘One of These Days’
9. ‘The Badger’
10.’The Deeper the Love’
11. ‘Soldier Of Fortune’
12. ‘Burn / Stormbringer’

David Coverdale (vocals)
Doug Aldrich (guitars)
Reb Beach (guitars)
Michael Devin (bass)
Brian Tichy (drums)
Brian Ruedy (keyboards)

BUY IT !
www.amazon.co.uk/Made-Britain-World-Record-Whitesnake/dp/B00CLF80O0
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